The Art of Fencing eBook

CHAP. XXII.

Of Left-handed Men.

Most People imagine that a Left-handed Man has, by
Nature, the Advantage of a Right-handed Man in Fencing,
whereas he has it only by Habit, exercising oftener
with Right-handed Men than a Right-handed Man with
him, as well in Lessons as in Assaults, most Masters
being Right-handed, as well as most of the Scholars,
taking Lessons from the Right-hand, and practising
seldom with Left-handed Men, find themselves puzzled,
nothing surprizing more than what one is not used
to, which is so true, that to embarrass a Left-handed
Man, who has not fenced much, you must put another
against him; I say one that has not fenced much, because
Right or Left-handed Men who go to the School of a
perfect Master, will be taught to use both Hands,
by which Means, they will not be so much surprized
when they meet with a Left-handed Man, as they would
otherwise be.

When a Right and a Left-handed Man fence together,
the Right handed Man should push but seldom within,
that being the Antagonist’s strongest Part;
and his weakest and outward, which should be kept covered,
or in a defensive Condition, as the most liable to
be attacked; the best Way is to push Quarte
without, Engagements, Feints under, and Thrusts above,
and double Feints, finished above or under the Wrist
in Quarte, Cuts over the Point without, and
upon the Parade, with the Fort, or with the Feeble,
redoubling Quarte under the Wrist, or Seconde
over: These are chiefly the Thrusts which a Right-handed
and a Left-handed Man may make against each other,
whether on an Attack, or in Defence, by Time or Risposts.

Several Masters puzzle their Scholars by telling them
that with a Left-handed Man they must act quite contrary
to what they do with a Right-handed, which appears
to be false; because to a Right or Left-handed Man
you must push, opposing with the Sword, which is to
be done by pushing Quarte, when the Enemy is
within your Sword, and Tierce, when he is without.
All the Difference between a Right and a Left-handed
Man is, that two Right, or two Left-handed Men, are
both within or without, whereas a Right with a Left-handed
Man, the one is within when the other is without,
the one in Quarte, the other in Tierce.

CHAP. XXIII.

Of the Parade of the Hand.

There are, in Fencing, three Parades with the Left-hand:
The first, like the Opposition that is from the Top
to the Bottom; the second, with the Palm of the Hand
without, towards the Right Shoulder, and the third,
from the Bottom to the Top, with the Outside of the
Hand: Of these three Parades, the first is the
easiest, the most used, and the least dangerous:
They are condemned by able Men, as weakening those
of the Sword; wherefore it is wrong in a Master to
shew them to a Scholar, before he has practised those